comedian Dennis Miller once said :

“After seven years of marriage, I'm sure of two things -- first, never wallpaper together, and second, you'll need two bathrooms.. both for her. The rest is a mystery, but a mystery I love to be involved in.”

i'm not sure about the two bathrooms, but it's the definite truth when it comes to closet space.

(image: porter hovey polaroid project)

Wanting to Know you Wens : purse show-and-tell!

this week i asked to see your purses and what you carry around with you on a given day (like me? i will always have some kind of gum & tampons if you need one... oh and! a can of mace my pappa always makes me carry---so i can protect you too--- just so you know).

i luuurve my Sam Harvey tote! absolutely love it. I got lucky and got paired with Lara, the beautiful designer behind Sam Harvey, in a blog swap {see the rest of my spoils here}. If you're like me and carry so much and need something that's both trendy and durable... this is the brand for you! 

^Carmella i think we have the same phone! i love a girl who's purse contents also include sunscreen, floss (because as she says, "there's nothing worse than popcorn kernels stuck in your teeth") and extra napkins. A trendy girl (i spy Chanel!) who's prepared. 

^Claudia i love that your contents includes your son's belongings: skeleton gloves, toy gun, and his toys. 

 ^Erin Elder i love your pretty pocket mirror and pill box!

this Erin, not to be confused with this Erin:

^Erin i love your Benetton! j'adore your Sawyer travel mug and that you carry an emergency tea bag.  

^Carrie Marie i love that you also carry around a pocket notebook & the same brand carmex. But Neosporin! i always forget it though i do carry around a few hello kitty band-aids.

^Kary also carries around the book she's currently reading & her adorable son's toys! i love the owl coin purse she found at her favorite vintage store & your studded purse!

^Amy also has cute coin purse taste. Something she carries that no one else did is nail clippers & nail polish -- i can just picture her on a bus/subway doing her nails (cute). 

thank-you to everyone who played along! it means a lot to me & it's such a fun way to get to know my darling readers better.

Good Morning Sparklistas!!!

my friend Kaileen Elise started up a new series called "Sparklista Sundays." i was so excited when she asked me to participate. Please come check out my little interview here.

it's a series about creativity & who inspires us. {i may have mentioned a few of you!... trust me, i'd mention all of you cos let's be honest... every one of you is a sparkly muse!}


thank-you!

xo

Postal Service.

bliss! i may be eating a fattening honey bun as i type this, after a much needed and amazing massage at acorn spa and salon. {is it bad that i want to ask my masseuse cindy out? ha} i love my husband-to-be!

monday is usually a mail post but since i was WAY TOO EXCITED about my very fine house giveaway {put your name in the hat if you haven't yet!}, i decided to do it today. 

Before we get into this week's love letters, don't forget to play along with our virtual date tomorrow. Email me a pic of your bag & what you keep inside-- here's a little preview of looking inside my pretty Sam Harvey tote... i'll spill it out for you tomorrow! can't wait to see that hopefully i'm not the only one that carries EVERYTHING in my purse. 

^quite possibly my favorite incoming ever... a handmade thank-you card from my bestie's beautiful daughter Mackenzie. Absolutely precious. 

^glittery card from Maria 

^postcrossing from Mexico : i love this Frida portrait!

^speaking of my love for Frida, check out this awesome card from Sandra. You are too cute seestur!

^beautiful envelope of goodies from Nicola that included a vintage postcard from 1945, mark twain photo slide (LOVE!), and postcards for my twinkie that just warmed my heart. She remembered how much Marianne loves England & especially sea horses.  

Nicola, i loved everything. so thoughtful! esp. your typed written letter. 

^i love this art postcard from Rry in Singapore 

^from Hosanna Lee studying in Manchester (how cute is her stationary?)

^from my Carrie who sent me this Jack Kerouac postcard while on a retreat in New England. 

^from Ria (i love italian stamps!)

^from Kristina

^my reply to Mackenzie

^postcard for Rry

^reply to Courtney

^postcard i made steph (her fave photo of robert pattinson... wonder why? ha!)

^belated birthday gift for my college girlfriend Jessie. if you know this sweet girl, you know music is her soul and if she could, she would have been a hippie in the true woodstock era. I found this postcard on etsy & paired it with a vintage frame i got once at an estate sale (the back says, "made in italy" which i  love-- a bit of me, a bit of her). i love you Coody bug!

^thank you to Faiza for this parcel that made my brother smile in Iraq. i joked with faiza that me and marianne are doomed to always think of her when we see giraffe anything. i fell in love with the handmade giraffe pillow though when i saw it on oh little rabbit on etsy.


remember that huge package of stationary goodness Maria sent me? no kind deed should ever go unreturned-- it's how my momma raised me. i sent a thank-you package to her and her daughter Maya.

^as you know i collect coffee mugs and had to get maria this "books to read" mug since her & her 7-year-old daughter love to read. Since it has an erasable marker, i wrote in my book recommendations. To go along with the reading theme, i sent both of them bookmarks- one of a shih-tzu since they rescued a cutie pie named muffin. i also sent along a doily my mom made + a turquoise necklace my auntie made (maria loves turquoise jewelry!) and of course, since i'm a dog mom to 3 puppies, i bought her 2 pups toys. 

"Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company." -Lord Byron

i do so love your company xo

we are so fairytale it makes people sick.

forgive the sappiness but today is my only day off until next tues.

i pulled a double on saturday (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.)

and had to work on my one day off last week.

i'm exhausted.

my body hurts.



and because i have the world's greatest husband-to-be...

he surprised me with another one hour hot stone massage at the spa.



i am happy. completely happy and madly in love.

i have been hurt/disappointed/and made stupid mistakes in love before to recognize what it's like to have the real thing.

he is the real thing.


so forgive the sappiness because finally finally finally...



my heart is in good hands.



my heart is complete.

very fine house etsy shop + GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy new week darling readers!

i thought we'd start this monday off by introducing you to my new favorite etsy shop & close it with a GIVEAWAY!!!

you lovies know how much i adore my sweet friend Claire (as i'm sure most of you do as well!). I was super excited when she told me her sister Kate (who has an eye for vintage treasures) opened an etsy shop!

Kate hunts for vintage & antique housewares -- my kind of girl! i LOVE her shop! check out my purchases:

vintage perfection and perfectly me! 

to celebrate the opening of very fine house, the beautiful Kate is offering two pretty items from her shop to one lucky dolce vita reader!!! 

i'm very excited that one of you lovies reading this could win:

silver bird with intricate detail (11 inches long, 6 inches tall) that goes with anyone's decor & vintage bird tea towel.

isn't Kate lovely? and i can tell you from personal experience how fabulous her products are since i just got my purchase in the mail today-- LOVE THEM!

Both pretties can be yours multiple ways:

1. be a lovie (what i call my readers) of le blog
2.  heart very fine house on etsy
3. blog/tweet/button this giveaway
4. purchase something from Kate's shop and get three more entries

{please let me know which one(s) you do with a separate comment}


winner will be chosen randomly & announced a week + a day on Wens. October 6th. xoxo